Standard5

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 * // The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation. //


 * Evidence 1:**

Screenshots of Classdojo

[|www.classdojo.com]


 * Rationale 1:**

This year I implemented a classroom management program called Classdojo into my 4th grade classroom. This web-based program provides a customizable platform for developing a classroom management system. The program is set up to award students with positive and negative points for their behavior in the classroom. The positive and negative points can be created by the teacher based on your own preferences. My positive and negative points were based on the Discipline with Purpose classroom management program already utlized at our school. The program provides a visual avatar that is customizable by students, which created a fun twist right from the start. The avatar has the students name and a number located on it. The number represents the student’s behavior both negatively and positively. The avatar can either show a red number with the negative points and a green number with positive point or just a green number that has the total number of awarded positive points. Students can see their progress throughout the day through the use of the SMART Board or laptop. The students and their parents can also see their progress privately at home using an assigned code and can see areas that need improvement or areas of success. The program also can display whole class progress, timers, visual reminders and much more.

The program was very effective in regards to keeping students focused on their positive behavior in classroom and more aware of areas they need to improve on. Parents also expressed positive feedback about the program as well. They liked that they could check their progress at their own convenience and gain a better understanding of how their son/daughter is behaving on a daily basis. I liked the program because I could focus more on the positive behaviors students displayed in class and draw attention to encourage others students to perform/behave more positively. I also did not have to interrupt class to discipline as much as usual, the program made the students aware they were not behaving appropriately. Using this interactive program got the students much more involved and responsible for their behavior, actions and learning.


 * KSD**


 * 5.K.5 The teacher recognizes factors and situations that are likely to promote or diminish intrinsic motivation, and knows how to help students become self-motivated.**


 * With the Classdojo program, students could see everyone’s progress. This made some students want to try harder on areas they needed to improve on and to take more responsibility for their behavior. Some students who struggled with specific areas would meet with me to set small goals to reach each week. Other students would set personal goals to challenge themselves more. Overall, the students became more aware of their behavior and how to set personal goals to work towards.


 * 5.S.1 The teacher creates a smoothly functioning learning community in which students assume** ** responsibility for themselves and one another, participate in decision making, work collaboratively **** and independently, and engage in purposeful learning activities. **


 * After using Classdojo for a few weeks, students started asking for advice on how they could work on their areas of weaknesses in the classroom. Even those these skills were being addressed in the classroom, they needed to be told how to improve and what small steps they could take to succeed. As an educator, having the students approach me on their behavior was surprising and extremely rewarding. Students began to understand that they are responsible for themselves and that how they act impacts everyone else around them.


 * 5.D.5 The teacher is committed to continuous development of individual students’ abilities** ** and considers how different motivational strategies are likely to encourage this development for each student. **


 * Classdojo is a wonderful classroom management program, however for some students it wasn’t the best fit for them. Students whom really seemed to struggle with behavioral problems would get defensive or frustrated when they were given negative points. This was clearly not going to improve their behavior or attitude. Since negative points seemed very frustrating for some, I would provide “starter positive points” these were points that they didn’t want to see turn to red for negative actions-starting with some positive points helped them to realize you need to work to stay positive and behave well. I would also restart the points every month; every student would start out each month with no positive or negative points. I did this to be sure students wouldn’t get too frustrated about their progress.